Sunday 16 March 2014 18.24 EDT
First published on Sunday 16 March 2014 18.24 EDT

Send for the smelling salts. England must have been in pieces watching France shoot themselves in the foot but it was that kind of tournament and a disallowed try 70 seconds from time not only sent the silverware in the right direction, it also afforded a theatrical flourish to a remarkable career.

If you sat down to write the format for a tournament between six nations, the Six Nations is not what you'd come up with – no home and aways? – but it works. This time it has also given the teams plenty to think about with the World Cup 18 months away.

Happiest (probably) will be England. Even though they came second for the third season on the trot Stuart Lancaster's team has made enormous strides in the past six months, finding a world-class second-row pairing in Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury, a back-row combination that may not be built on classical lines but is ruthlessly efficient and a midfield around which much clicks into place.

The new, mature Danny Care injects the pace which allows Owen Farrell to stand flatter, while the distribution of Billy Twelvetrees brings Mike Brown into the game in a way not feasible were the full-back reliant on passes from the fly-half alone. And Luther Burrell must be the find of the tournament (Brice Dulin was around last autumn).

Burrell looked miffed at being hauled off in Rome and had every right to be. I understand wanting to give experience to guys with an England future but Burrell is not exactly a veteran and still needs to know he has the confidence of his coaches. Also, such a raft of changes was disruptive. Injecting so many players, each of them with something to prove and limited time in which to do it, harms the collective and England unnecessarily pressed the accelerator when, arguably, they were cruising.

Long-term England miss Dan Cole and on Saturday Davey Wilson and Maku Vunipola both had their troubles. At the other end of the rugby spectrum, at least one of the wings should go, with Marland Yarde certain to return at some point and Christian Wade in the mix if only because of his pace. However, England have more than coped with what had threatened to be a disrupting list of injuries.

Equally satisfied will be Ireland, not just because they took the title and gave Brian O'Driscoll a fitting send-off, but because Joe Schmidt has welded together something close to a complete side. For once an Ireland coach has managed to marry together the best of the three provinces, notably the emotions of Munster and the guile of Leinster.

Eighteen months out from a World Cup is not the best time to blood a new midfield – O'Driscoll's gone and Gordon D'Arcy cannot be far behind – but Schmidt has a front row which has come on in leaps and bounds, a back row of balance and, if he can keep Paul O'Connell going, a pack with a heart and a head.

Twice on Saturday the captain calmed the ship, taking vital lineout balls when the French forward giants were threatening mayhem.

The southern hemisphere will also be looking out for Wales. Forget all the stuff about the Welsh suddenly looking old, there is still so much talent in that side that they can both attack and defend better than any other in the Six Nations.

Warren Gatland has had to clip Mike Phillips' wings, his back-row trio, Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau have slipped below their best and Jonathan Davies has either been missing or rusty but the New Zealander is clever at introducing – or threatening to introduce – a few new faces.

France? Who knows. I loved the way they played on Saturday and hated their performance in Cardiff. But for the wrong-headed replacement of Maxime Machenaud and the inability of Vincent Debaty to throw a pass under pressure – mind you, he was not the only French sinner in that regard – England could be champions.

Saturday in Paris was up there with England versus Ireland; whereas Twickenham had sustained precision, Paris had pure power. Sometimes it seems that France have to be teetering on the brink before they give their best. In Dulin, Yoann Huget, Gaël Fickou, Chouly and Wesley Fofana they have talent to burn even before the South African, Rory Kockott, qualifies.

Not so Scotland and Italy. Put simply, neither team has the depth of talent and one wonders whether Scotland are going about things in the right way.

Vern Cotter arrives at the end of this season after a glorious career with Bay of Plenty and Clermont Auvergne but Scotland – and Italy for that matter – have had good coaches before.

Andy Robinson and now Scott Johnson are criticised while trying to do the right thing but Scottish rugby is effectively just two teams or one and a half. There are Glasgow Warriors and much to admire, and Edinburgh, which is being stuffed full of South Africans. Where that gets Scotland I do not know.